Reputations

What are you attempting to learn? there are many different teams, at different price points, with different agendas to what they are doing. Some are glorified recruiting services others are training based development programs. Some are D1 based and travel extensively others are more local D2 and D3 based teams...your question is just a bit open ended and if you clarify a little bit what you are looking for you may find better responses.

I really don't know or care which 14U-15U teams are the "best".  My concern would be more about which 15U-17U teams do the best job of getting players into the Power Five D1's or MLB and which ones are the best at developing players, and (ultimately) which are the best at both of those key aspects of running a Travel Program.

Sent you a PM.

Question was two fold-  Anyone have any dealings with KMS out of MD.  What do people know about them.

Second question was just a more general question on who people thought were the top travel teams....

First question has a purpose...Second question probably should have been a separate thread and based on peoples opinions.  

3and2Fastball posted:

I really don't know or care which 14U-15U teams are the "best".  My concern would be more about which 15U-17U teams do the best job of getting players into the Power Five D1's or MLB and which ones are the best at developing players, and (ultimately) which are the best at both of those key aspects of running a Travel Program.

No disrespect to 3and2, but not everyone can play at a Power Five D1, nor are there enough openings at these schools for those that can, especially if you are a position player.  Sometimes I think everyone that posts here has pitcher sons.

 (....and, ahem, you don't have to play at a Power 5 to get drafted).

You need to find a travel program that will showcase your child in front of college coaches,  ie:  goes to the right tournaments.  

Secondly, you need to find a team that your son can actually play on.  It does no good to be on a team where the coach's son plays MIF if that is also your son's position.    Sometimes you won't know this until your son is already on the team.  Then you move on.

Some teams/organizations will have "development", but plan to get some of that on your own.  Son took separate hitting lessons, weight training with a professional, and separate running lessons all outside "the organization".  One of the best things son did was throw with a pro pitcher that was home on rehab.  It was set up by the weight trainer who worked with both.  So how cool was that....that a sophomore in high school would just hang out and throw with a pitcher in the pros!   Both got in needed throwing in the off season.

I have experience with several organizations in the Richmond VA area if you want to PM me.

Go to the team/organization websites and see where their players are from,  where they are sending players to college,  and if you see your son fitting in there.  It will say volumes of what contacts the travel coaches have.

But ultimately, it will be up to the player to make the contacts and play well enough to garner offers.

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

3and2Fastball posted:

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

There are plenty of fourteen, fifteen year olds with college ball potential you can tell won't be D1 players. There is a small number at this age you can tell should become D1 players. There is a small percentage of this age group where you can't be sure what level they will ascend to. 

There are kids missing physical or talent tools who will have trouble overcoming the situation. They will play college ball. But not likely not D1. There are kids whose attitude and work ethic make it unlikely they will play D1. You can see these things when they're fourteen and fifteen. These kids aren't locked in. Some kids overcome the obstacles. But they're already on their likely path. 

PM sent.

RJM posted:

3and2Fastball posted:

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

There are plenty of fourteen, fifteen year olds with college ball potential you can tell won't be D1 players. There is a small number at this age you can tell should become D1 players. There is a small percentage of this age group where you can't be sure what level they will ascend to. 

There are kids missing physical or talent tools who will have trouble overcoming the situation. They will play college ball. But not likely not D1. There are kids whose attitude and work ethic make it unlikely they will play D1. You can see these things when they're fourteen and fifteen. These kids aren't locked in. Some kids overcome the obstacles. But they're already on their likely path. 

RJM I think you are a bit late with your time line on this one, at 15u mid summer there a quite a few commitments, almost all of them power 5's...as much as I think it sucks in todays game if you are truly a top player 15u is pretty much the start or even in the middle of hot recruiting. By the fall of that year, as in like a just couple weeks from today, it is full on all out balls to the wall recruiting for the power 5's.

I know it is insane but check out the PG list, it shows 156 current 15u 2020 grads have verbals today, they are almost 100% power 5...the 2019 have 620 committed.

old_school posted:

RJM posted:

3and2Fastball posted:

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

There are plenty of fourteen, fifteen year olds with college ball potential you can tell won't be D1 players. There is a small number at this age you can tell should become D1 players. There is a small percentage of this age group where you can't be sure what level they will ascend to. 

There are kids missing physical or talent tools who will have trouble overcoming the situation. They will play college ball. But not likely not D1. There are kids whose attitude and work ethic make it unlikely they will play D1. You can see these things when they're fourteen and fifteen. These kids aren't locked in. Some kids overcome the obstacles. But they're already on their likely path. 

RJM I think you are a bit late with your time line on this one, at 15u mid summer there a quite a few commitments, almost all of them power 5's...as much as I think it sucks in todays game if you are truly a top player 15u is pretty much the start or even in the middle of hot recruiting. By the fall of that year, as in like a just couple weeks from today, it is full on all out balls to the wall recruiting for the power 5's.

I know it is insane but check out the PG list, it shows 156 current 15u 2020 grads have verbals today, they are almost 100% power 5...the 2019 have 620 committed.

I said D1 not Power 5. But there are available slots for Power 5 prospects after age fifteen. A poster on this board son received a Big West offer post junior year at seventeen. There are years you could argue the Big West is one of the top five conferences.

PM sent...ebh

RJM posted:

3and2Fastball posted:

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

There are plenty of fourteen, fifteen year olds with college ball potential you can tell won't be D1 players. There is a small number at this age you can tell should become D1 players. There is a small percentage of this age group where you can't be sure what level they will ascend to. 

There are kids missing physical or talent tools who will have trouble overcoming the situation. They will play college ball. But not likely not D1. There are kids whose attitude and work ethic make it unlikely they will play D1. You can see these things when they're fourteen and fifteen. These kids aren't locked in. Some kids overcome the obstacles. But they're already on their likely path. 

Very very good points made RJM and much appreciated.

The question is:  how would parents know unless they get their kid evaluated by knowledgable pros, especially those that funnel prospects into Power Fives?   Most people cannot accurately evaluate their own kids.   I know I certainly cannot!!!  I rely on knowledgeable pros that I trust to do that and try to get input from multiple sources including showcases etc

I suppose there are certain size and measureable requirements, and perhaps you are correct that the number of late bloomers and "bubble" D1 players is smaller than I thought?

old_school posted:

RJM posted:

3and2Fastball posted:

Great post Keewart and you are absolutely correct.   The reason I mentioned organizations that get players into Power Fives is because 14 or 15 is really too young for the most to know if a kid (especially a position player) will end up being a D1 or a D3 player.... good food for thought from you though for sure

There are plenty of fourteen, fifteen year olds with college ball potential you can tell won't be D1 players. There is a small number at this age you can tell should become D1 players. There is a small percentage of this age group where you can't be sure what level they will ascend to. 

There are kids missing physical or talent tools who will have trouble overcoming the situation. They will play college ball. But not likely not D1. There are kids whose attitude and work ethic make it unlikely they will play D1. You can see these things when they're fourteen and fifteen. These kids aren't locked in. Some kids overcome the obstacles. But they're already on their likely path. 

RJM I think you are a bit late with your time line on this one, at 15u mid summer there a quite a few commitments, almost all of them power 5's...as much as I think it sucks in todays game if you are truly a top player 15u is pretty much the start or even in the middle of hot recruiting. By the fall of that year, as in like a just couple weeks from today, it is full on all out balls to the wall recruiting for the power 5's.

I know it is insane but check out the PG list, it shows 156 current 15u 2020 grads have verbals today, they are almost 100% power 5...the 2019 have 620 committed.

Understand those are very, very,  small percentage of players nationally.  156 out of how many 15u players in the nation?  620 2019 out of how many players nationally?  

I know we are a bit off topic from OP but just  to add structure and some math to the current dialog...

There are about 300 D1 baseball programs and about 60 of those are Power 5.

Evo Canes, Mid Atlantic Red Sox, US Elite (PA), Stars Showcase (Nova) also have strong reputations. FTB just started a team a Mid-Atlantic team. Should be strong. I am sure I am missing others.